Mobile World Congress: Don’t Squeeze the Garmin

They’ve finally done it. Asus and Garmin (GRMN) have launched their GPS-enabled smartphones at Mobile World Congress, to great fanfare.

The companies want to knock the iPhone off its perch, as it were, but they don’t (yet) have the App Store to compete with Apple Inc. (AAPL).

Nevertheless, the so-called “nuvifones” created by Asus and Garmin are getting mixed reviews. PC Magazine says the G60 nuvifone resembles a GPS device more than a smartphone; the M20, on the other hand, appears more mainstream and probably will appeal more to regular users.

Asus and Garmin have yet to decide which carriers to sell their phones through and how much to charge. Right now, the nuvifones work best with the AT&T Inc. (T) network, according to reports.

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